THANK YOU for having us read this piece. Wow... It speaks volumes. I think every student, parent, and educator should read this. I consider myself to be a "good student" -- straight As, honors/AP classes, sports, extracurriculars, school/community involved, part-time job, etc. -- and I can relate to this. I can even admit to being "sucked into" the Game of School. Sure, I didn't let my whole high school career be a victim of the Game of School but at times, and for certain classes, I definitely did what I had to to get the A and finish the class without truly becoming invested in the material. However, there definitely were classes and teachers that made me want to invest in the material and really learn. When reading this piece, the one big difference I thought of was my elementary school experience. It kind of broke my heart to read about the elementary kids already mastering the "art" of getting homework assignments done without really doing them (the reading + questions at the after school program) at such a young age. I remember loving elementary school. My teachers made me excited to learn. Of course, that was more than a decade ago. Now, it frightens me how fast the Game of School is taking over education. Once I hit high school, the presence of doing what you have to to get by was large. Even kids in honors and AP classes would abide by this GOS (I'm guilty!). It's sad that education is not valued at the volume and intensity it used to be. However, reading this and acknowledging that the Game of School is being played helps to open my eyes and motivate me to get the most out of my 4 years at URI. It's MY education and it's MY responsibility to take advantage of it and suck the life out of my money!